Locking device for lifting forks



Nov; 15, 1927. 1,649,343

- I c. E. FULLER LOCKING DEVICE EEOR LIFTING FORKS Filed Dec.l5 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 A ma; Wbrfieg Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,343 V c. E. FULLER LOCKING DEVICE FOR LIFTING FORKS Filed Dec.l5, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gs; z a

7 jwvewlor Nev, 15, 1927. 1,649,343

C. E. FULLER LOCKING DEVICE FOR LIFTING FORKS Filed Dec.15 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,343

' c. E. FULLER LOCKING DEVICE FOR LIFTING FORKS Filed DEC-l5, 1926 4 Sheets$heet 4 I I balance springs is desirable and the use of Fatented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED. ATES 1,649,343 P NT OFFICE;-

CLAUID E. FULLER, OF NEW.YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T-O' N'E'W YORK BRICK HANDLING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,' it CORIORATION OF ZNEW'YORK.

LooKINe DEVICE son LIFTING roan-s Application filed December My present invention relates to brick handling devices and more particularly to an improved locking device for brick handling forks.

In present day brick setting forks, the preferred form is a fork in which a plurality of parallelly arranged lifting fingershave associated therewith a plurality of grip levers and the weight of the lifting fingers and grip levers is balanced by heavy springs and when the load is picked up the balance springs permit the travel of the lifting bail which actuates the grip levers and grips the lower courses of brick firmly between the parallelly arranged fingers. Present day practice in brick making necessitates the handling of brick not only in building the kiln itself but also in removing the bricks from the kiln after they are burned and off the barges after they have arrived at their destination. Where the units of brick have become slightly deranged, either from the settle of the kilns during the burning period or the jarring during transit, it is extremely difficult to enter the lifting fingers of the fork into the finger spaces formed by the lower courses of brick, and with present day forks, in forcing the finger-s into the spaces, the heavy springs associated therewith operate so that the grip levers are moved into their outward positionbefore the lifting fork or setter is in position to pick up a unit of brick. The use of the the grip levers is practically essential, and the present invention is designed to overcome the difficulty heretofore enumerated and, therefore, the present invention enables me to utilize the present lifting fork or setter while providing means for retaining the grip levers in their retracted position until the lifting fingers are in position to pick up the load. 7

In carrying out my invention I utilize in connection with the carrying memberand the lifting fingers, a locking device, which, when no load is on the lifting fingers, will lock the carrier and lifting "fingers against relative movement with each other so that the grip levers will be retained in retracted position whether or not a load is on the lifting lingers. By this means the effect of the balance springs is nullified and said balance springs will only be brought into operation when the locking member has been released.

15, 192 .Serial no. 154,996.

An object of my invention, therefore,-is an improved locking device 'for brick lifting setters or forks.

, Another object of my invention is an improved locking device'f'or spring sustained lifting forks.

Other objects and novel features of my invention will appear as the description of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawings i'llust i s the Preferred em dime t f myinvention as applied to one of the present day lifting forks or setters,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan View;

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation on the line 1l of'Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line '5-5 of Fig. 4c.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a base member of suitable length, to one face of which are secured a number of parallell arranged lifting fingers 11, in each of whic fingers are pivotally mounted on pins 12 grip levers 13, it being understood that the lifting fingers 11 are recessed for this purpose, as will be clearly evident from an inspection of Fig. 1. Each of the grip levers 13 has pivotally attached thereto, intermediate the ends thereof, one endofan operating rod or lever 14;, there being one such rod or lever for each of the grip levers 13 in each of the liftingfingers 11, and such rods or levers extend rearwardly and pass throughv perforations in the member 10. The rear end of such levers 14 are pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 15, these bell crank levers being pivota'lly mounted on shafts 16, secured to one face of a member 17 that is secured to the member 10 on the face thereof opposite from the fingers. i

18 and 19 designate transverse members lying above and parallel to the lifting fingers 11. Atone end of 18 and 19 is pivotally secured on shaft 20 a shackle 21, and adjacent to the other end of the members 18 and 19 is pivotally secured on shaft 22 a shackle 23. On the shackles 21 and 23 are secured, by means of members 24, T beams 25 secured to the under side of a lift ng element 26 that is adaptedto be can ed by any suitable means such as a traveling crane. The shackles- 23 and 21 designate or define four-point suspension bearings for the members 18 and parts secured to and carried thereby, The mem bers 18 and 19 have formed thereon on the lowest face or edge thereof downwardly depending members 27 and 28 respectively. Secured to the lower end of the members 27 and 28 are rearwardly extending brackets 29 and 30 respectively. Also secured to the members 27 and 28, adjacent the top end thereof or the joining point thereof with the members 18 and 19, are rearwardly extending brackets 31 and 32 respectively and connected to the outer or rear ends of the brackets 31 and 32 is anangle iron 33. Also connected to the members 18 and 19, parallel to the angle iron 33, is a member 34. Secured to, but slidable in, the members 29 and 30 are links 35 and 36.1espectively. On the members 29 and 30 are formed internally threaded lugs 37, through which is threaded a screw 38 provided 011 one end with a hand wheel 39. Pivotally attached to the inner ends of the links 35 and 36 are the lower ends of links 40 and 41 respectively. The pivot between the links 35 and 40, and 36 and 41 has an enlargement 42 thereon through which passes and is rotatably mounted the threaded mem here 38 and such threaded members are provided with collars 43 on either side of the enlargement 42, this construction allowing rotation of the threaded members 38 with respect to the enlargement 42 while yet preventing longitudinal movement with respect thereto. By means of the hand wheel 39, the threaded members 38 may be rotated and serve to move the links 35 and 36 relative to the brackets 29 and 30. Pivotally mounted on the outer ends of the links 35 and 36 are the lower ends of connectingrods 44 and 45 respectively, which links are pivotally attached at their upper end to the brackets 31 and 32 respectively. On the links 35 and 36 adjacent to the outer edge of the brackets 29 and30 respectively, rest plates 46. I On the plates 46 are secured and extend upwardly therefrom tubular members 47. Slidably mounted in the tubular members 47 are rods 48 secured at their upper ends to a plate 49. Between the plates 46 and 49 and surrounding the tubularmembers 47 and rods 48 are springs 50 which tend to keep the plates 46 and 49 apart. Threaded through the plates 49 are screws 51 which pass upwardly through the brackets 31 and 32 respectively and associated with said screws 51 are nuts 52 and by means of which the plates 49 may be adjusted relatively to the brackets 31 and 32 and, therefore, be utilized to adjust the tension of the springs 50. The upper ends of the links 40 and 41 are pivotally attached to the connecting link 53 and connected to is the lower end of a connecting link 54,

, this connecting link being pivotally mounted at its upper end to the middle point of the link 55 that normally lies parallel to the link 53 and also thelinks 35 and 36. otally attached to the ends of the link 55 are .the lower ends of connecting rods 56, these rods being connected at their upper ends to the members 18 and 19 respectively and means'is provided for adjusting the length of such connecting rods 56. By means of the construction just described, the brackets 29 and 30 are yieldingly suspended on the members 18 and 19. Secured to the members 29 and 30 and on either side there of, are outwardly and downwardly extending members 57, such members having their inner faces opposed, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1, and provided with horizontally extending angles 58, and with a plurality of parall-elly arranged rolls 59 spaced therefrom and adjacent the lower end of the members 58. These rolls 59 constitute anti-friction tracks for a horizontally disposed I beam 60. The I beam 60 is drilled at suitable intervals to allow a free sliding movement of vertically arranged rods 61 that are pivotally attached at their lower ends to the bell crank levers 15, as clearly shown in 1 and 4. Surrounding the upper ends of the rods 61 are coil springs 62, the upper ends of the rods 61 being threaded to receive limiting and adjusting nuts 63, and by means of which the relative position of the rods 61 may be adjusted relative to the I beam 60 and the tension of the spring 62 simultaneously adjusted.

As so far described, the only supporting element for the parallelly arranged lifting fingers 11, member 10 and rearwardly extending brackets 17 is the I beam 60 and rods 61. Referring now particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the member 10 has formed integral therewith, adjacent the brackets 29 and 30, pairs of upwardly extending spaced elements 64 and 65. Secured to the members 64 and 65 and on the inner 19 and the plates 66 and 67 shall be in a straight line, there is provided on each side of the elements 18 and 19 and also on each side of the plates 66 and 67, rolls 68 and 69, and also that there is provided on each side of the downwardly extending members 27 Piv and 28, and on one side of the plates 66 and 67, rolls 70 and 71. By referring now to Fig. 1. it will be evident that the member 10 with the fingers 11 attached thereto, is

capable of limited movement with respect to the members 18 and 19, and such movement will take place in a straight line because of the presence of the spaced rolls 68 and 69 and because of the presence of the rolls 70 and 71. On the member 10 and on. either side of the spaced elements 64 and 65 are arranged inclined members 72 and 73, to which are attached the lower end of upwardly extending members 74, these members being attached to the upper ends of the pairs of members 66 'and'67 by bolts and nuts 75 and 76 respectively. The above construction represents the usual lifting fork in use at the present time and while such lifting fork operates satisfactorily in general, it is unsatisfactory in certain situations because of the fact that the lifting fingers 11 are yieldingly supported.

the grip levers 13 have a tendency to swing from their neutral position into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, this action rendering it still more difficult to insert the lifting fingers.

My present invention obviates this difficulty and referring now to the drawings, I have arranged bearings 77 on the under faces of the members 33 and 34 and in such bearings is rotatably mounted a shaft 78, secured to such shaft adjacent one end is a link 79. Also secured to the shaft 78 is a member 80 extending outward from each side thereof and to one of such extensions is secured a bar 81 on which is adjustably secured a weight 82. The other extension of the member 80 is provided with a bar 83. In one of the plates 67 is provided a perforation 84 adapted to receive as a sliding fit one end of a locking bolt 85, this locking bolt being pivotally attached at the end remote from the plate 67 to one end of the link 7 9; The plate 66 of the opposite pair of plates 66, 67 from that referred to, is provided with a perforation 87 in which is slidably mounted one end of a locking bolt 88, the other end of this locking bolt being pivotally attached to the link 79 and at the end thereof remote from the connecting point of the locking bolt 85. The downwardlyextending members 27 and 28 are provided with perforations 89 and 90 respectively which are adapted to be brought into alinement simultaneously with the perforations 84: and 87 in the plates 67 and 66 re pectively, and when this happens, the shaft 78 will, by reason of the weight 82, be rotated in a clockwise direction and the locking bolts 85 and 86 moved into such perforations 89 and 90, thereby locking the members 27 and 28 with relation to the plates 66 and 67. The perforations 89 and are so placed that when, in alinement with the perforations 84 and 87, the

gripping levers 13 will be in their retracted position or in the position where they are housed within the lifting fingers 11. l/Vhen it is desiredto permit free relative movement of the members 27 and 28 with respect to the. pairs of elements 66 and 67, the lever 83 is pulled downward to cause rotation of the shaft 78 in an anticlockwise direction, thereby pulling the locking bolts 85 and 88 out of the holes 89 and 90.

In operation, when it is desired to'lift up a unit of brick either from a kiln or from a barge, or from any other situation, and in which possible derangement .of the finger courses mayhave occurred, the entire apparatus is assumed to bein the normal position and the tension ofthe springs'62 and 50 and the weight of the member 10 and all parts associated therewith are so proportioned that with no weight on the lifting fingers 11, the perforations 89 and 90 will be in alinement with the perforations '84 and 87 and, therefore, because of the rotation of the shaft 78, the locking bolts 85 and 88 will operate in the manner above described, the locking members 27 and 28 and all parts carried thereby being in fixed position with respect to the lifting fingers 11. The entire apparatus may now be lowered in position to lift up a unit of brick and as much force as may be necessary is utilized to force the fingers 11 between the finger courses of the unit of brick designated by the numeral 91 and after the fingers are in position, the operator, by pulling on the lever 83, withdraws the locking bolts 85 and 88 so as to release the members 27 and 28 and parts associated therewith. The member 26 being lifted in any suitable manner, as by a crane, lifts the members 18 and 19 and a yielding tension is placed on the grip levers 13 and the amount of tension depends entirely upon the weight of the unit 91, this being rendered possible by means of the springs 62 and 50. The unit of brick 91 may be transported to any convenient point and unloaded in the usual way and as soon as the load is unloaded, the members 27 and 28 are again located in the position above described.

Vhile I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts comprising the device within wide limits, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An improved locking device for brick setting machines in which the lifting fingers are movable relatively to the device, comprising a carrier for said lifting fingers and means for locking said carrier in fixed relation to the lifting device. p

2. An improved locking device for brick setting machines comprising co-operating members associated with the brick lifting lingers, a slidable bolt and means for sliding said bolt into locking position When said members are in their normal position.

3. An improved locking device for brick lifting machines having lifting fingers and lifting devices comprising a shaft, a link secured thereto, locking bolts pivotally connected at each end of the connecting link, slid-able members associated with the brick lifting fingers and With the lifting devices and having perforations therein that are adapted to be brought into alinement With each other and means for automatically rotating said shaft to slide the locking bolt-s into said alined perforations when the lifting device is in its normal position.

4. An improved brick lifting device comprising a lifting frame, a plurality of lifting fingers, means carrying said fingers and slidably mounted on said lifting frame, cooperating locking members in the lifting member associated therewith and'capable of sliding movement With respect thereto, a plurality of parallelly arranged fingers carried by said finger car 'ying device, pivoted brick gripping levers on said lingers, operating means between said levers and the frame whereby said levers are moved into operative position on relative movement between the frame and finger carrying member, and means for automatically locking said brick lifting frame and finger carrying member in normal position whereby operation of the levers is prevented. I

In testimonywhereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

OLAUD E. FULLER. 

